Machine for drying fabrics and papers in an endless web



Nov. 20, 1,928. v

. A. LAMBRETTE MACHINE Fon DRYING F'Anics AND PAPERS In A'N ENnLEss wma Filed Dec. 5,' 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 llllvllnlllllll'llll Jnyenhr Nov. I2o, 1928. 1,692,129

- A. LAMBRE'ITE MACHINE FOR DRYING FABRICS AND PAPERS IN AN ENDLESS WEB Filed nec. 5, 1925 4 sneetsfsheet 2 Nw.y 20,19281 A A. LAMBRETTE MACHINE FOR DRYING FABRICS:y AND PAPERS IN AN ENDLESS WEB 4 sheets-sheet I 3 Filed; Dec. 5, 1925 Wzlfnexscs (Mu 14;. l

MACHINE FOR DRYING FABRIGS AND'IFEAPERS 'IN ,AN VBNDLESS 'WEB Filed 'Dec f5. 51925 All Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,692,129 PATENT OFF-ICE.

AUBIN LAMBRETTE, or MEMBAc-norgaAIN, BELGIUM.

nAcHmn Fon DRYING FABRICS AND rArEns 1N AN nNnLEss WEB.

Application led December 5, 1925,` Serial No. 73,513, and in France December 19, 1924.

This machine which is of the so called catching type operates by means of sticks which are fixed in a permanent manner to two lendless chains and is principally charac- 6 terized by the fact that the'introduction of the fabric (or paper) is obtained b means of one or several air sprays or jets o air, the

main object of which are to arrange the fabric (or paper) in regular folds, to stretch 10 the same in the direction of the width and to prevent every contact of the right side of the cloth or fabric (or paper) with parts of the machine. The regular folding of the fabi ric (or paper) upon the sticks is secured by I5 the fact that an air spra stops the fabric or paper upon the stick at t e moment the latter is brought under this spray by the movement of the chains. The stretching or spreading in,

the direction of the width is obtained by the fact that the air strikes the middle of the fabric (or paper) and that it must vescape at the right and at the-left vin swellin the fold and in tending to widen the same. hese two effects which are obtained by means of the jets vof air allow to do away with all devices which, in machines of this kind, are obliged to touch the right side of the fabric (or paper) so as to cause the same tofold itself about Athe sticks and to stretch or s read the same in such a manner that it will e Hat or smooth. 1

The fact that every contact withthe right side is avoided offers obvious advantages. The spreading in the direction of the width by means of air sprays or jets of air shows the advantage that this effect is roduced during the formation of the fold an that it acts quite particularly at the place where the curvature assumed by the fabric (or paper) makes the 40v formation of breakin feared. The-fabrics w 'ch have been strongly distorted by the d eing upon stretchers cannot bebetter stretc ed 1n a machine than when they are hung or suspended by hand in the operation of stretchin The accompanying 'drawings show, by way of example, twoforms of construction of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the whole particu arly to beS of the machine according to a first form lof Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrams relating to a second form of construction of the machine.

Fig. 8 shows a closing device for the 'c0m' pressed air nozzle.

Figs. 9 and 10 show means for moving the chains stepwise.

Fig. l1 shows a device for closing the nozzle.

Fig.- 12 shows in longitudinal section a nozzle having a slot.

Fignl is across section on line A-A of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 shows in longitudinal section a device for a row of nozzles.

Fig. 15 1sA a cross section on line B-B of Fig. '14.

Figs. 16 and 17 show the means for supplyi ing heat to dry the web. I

In the first forml of construction (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), every stick a is carried by a pair of levers vZ; ywhich are articulated to the links of the two chains c whichcmove in the'direction ofthe arrow. Every lever b is rovided with a toothed quadrant d with w ich can gear ixedabutments or stops e-e which, at l the moment of the formation of the fold, cause the stick a to move forwardly.. The fabric or paper) is brought by the rollers f and g; the roller f is placed suiiciently high so that the fabric (or paper) will no longer be in contact with theroller g when the stops e-e have turned the levers b upwardly. In this position (Fig. 3), the stick a has just passed under the nozzle j to vwhich air under pressure is su plied.; in virtue of the ten-l sion produced y the pressure of the air and by the weight of the fabric or of the paper) from f to a, there is such a large frictlon between the fabric (or the paper) and the stick a, thatthe fabric (or the paper) stops upon this stick and forms anew fold behind sald stick. A second nozzle k blows into the preceding fold so as to keep the fabric in a stretched state as far as the end of the formation of the fold; in the case of paper as well as of fabrics to which the breakings are not detrimental, this second nozzle k can be omitted. When the stick a is entirely vdirected forward.- ly, the two nozzles j and )k blow into the same fold (see Fig. 1) until the following stick passes under the nozzle j andthe formation of a new fold begins. A At the end of the machine, the papier) is removed by the rollers Z and m which ave the same tangential speed as the rollers f andg, or which can bel adjusted or the fabric v(or y brought out of gear according as to whether the length of the fabric (or. of the paper) is invariable orl is altered bythe drying or the hanging. f s

vThe course of the chains is enclosed within the drying chamber fn, which is provided with any system of heating and aerating apparatus.

' The heating device, which is used comprises a fan 2 (Figs. 16 and 17) the suction hole of which is connected to the top end of the chamber u which encloses the machine; to the exhaust of this fan an exhaust pipe 3 tted with a register is connected. AThe exhaust pipe 4 having also a register returns the greatest portion of the air into a box 5 which leads this air onto heating tubes 6 designed to distribute the same as regularly as possibleL over the entire extent of the chamber. Thev air designed to replace that which has been exhausted through the chimney 3 flows into the chamber through the two slots through which the fabriccomes in and goes'out eventually through openings arranged in the bottom portion of the chamber.

In this formof construction, the sticks can be of another shape than the cylindrical one and this with the object of facilitating the stopping of the fabric (or of the paper) 4upon the sticks and to accordinglyAa'llow of using a less powerful sprayor jet of air. Fig. 4 shows the way in which the; sticks can be provided with a ridge which is turned downwardly by the rotation of the levers bafter the fold has been formed, so that it does not touch the fabric (or paper) during the drying operation and -cannot spoil the same. This ridge can be replaced by an attached blade Vas shown in Fig. 5.

v In the second form of construction (Figs. 6 and 7), the sticks are directly secured to the chains links and the roller g is-of a small diameter and the chains are operated stepwise so that they 'slddenly move forward to an extentcorresponding to a stick spacing. This motion is obtained through means which are known and already used in `connection with similar machines for instance by means of a system of pawl and ratchet o (Fig. 9) or of a Maltese cross wheel p (Fig. 10) the second nozzle c would exert here but little elfect and can be left aside. Fig. 6 shows the position of the fabric (or of the paper) during the formation of the fold, whilst the fabric (or the paper) delivered or supplied from the rollers f and g moves downl between the sticks a and a1 under the influence of the nozzle y'.

v Fig. 7 shows what happens when the chainsmove forwardly,' the fabric (or the Ijaper) stops about the stick a1 and a new fold egins to form itself. This second form of' construction is more simple than the iirst one but does not' spread' or stretch as well the fabric (or the paper) and is notto berecominended when the breakngs are seriously feared.

If the spreading or stretching in the direction of the width by means of jets of air or air sprays was to be abandoned, a shutting oif flap g (Fig. 11) may be arranged in the nozzle j which would be operated by the sticks a or by the chain links and this in such amanner that the nozzle could only blow through the intermediary of an elbow lever r one arm of which is connected by a rod s to the lever t keyed on the axle of said shutting off flap q, but at the beginning of this complication. l

For drying long hair fabrics or clothsyor fabrics or papers which have received a thick coating or layer of sizing, the closing means can be devised in quite a different manner, that is to say so as to stop or reduce the jet or sprayfwhen the stick is just under the nozjzle so that the jetI or spray of air cannot disturb the hair or spoil the coating of size. Fig. 8 shows how easy it is to make a closing device. A throttle valve w ,isplaced in the pipe of the nozzle y'. The same is operated by the movement of the stick a acting through the medium of the lever 2, of the connecting rod y and of the lever Le, in such a manner that the throttle valve closes when the stick is under the nozzle. lOn the contrary, should it be desired for the nozzle to blow only for the purpose of stopping the fabric (or the paper) at the beginning fold, it would lever ai in such a manner that the throttle valve would remain closed by itself and would be opened by the passage of the stick in using an analogous device to that which lasj been described above with reference to hould' it be desired to obtain a chemical action besides the physical treatment, the air could be replaced by other gases or by vapours; hot air, wet air or hot gases could also be used for feeding the nozzles. In these cases, it might be useful to use wide nozzles, nozzles provided with a slot (Figs. 12 and 13) or rows of nozzles (Figs. 14 and 15), so that the effect would be equal over the whole width of the fabric (or ofthe paper).

The gas or the vapour may be employed alone and in this case the nozzles are directly fed by the a paratus which supplies this gas or vapour (boiler, reservoir under pressure or any other apparatus), through the intermediary of a blower t0 which the gas or vapour is suppliedfrom one of these sources.l The gas or vapour might be the formation of the folds. Upto now, practice has not justified' or indirectly Yfed ofA the formation of theA y only be necessary to key the used in mixture with the outer airlwhich the small tube being then When amachine is to treat two or severalv 'fabrics' (or stripsof paper) arranged side by side, the same is provided with as many nozzles or pairs of nozzles which act in the middle of each fabric (or of each strip of paper).

I claim 1. A machine of the catching type for drying fabric or paper in a continuous web, comprising in combination with two endless conveying chains, levers hingedly mounted each on the outer side of one of two corresponding links of said Chain so that they turn when saidchains move, a transverse stick fixed on the outer ends of every pair of levers, a feed roller for feeding the web of fabric or paper arranged at a certain height above said endless chains, a second feed roller between said firstmentioned feed roll-er and said endless chains closer to said chains t-han said first mentioned feed roller, and two nozzles in front of said second mentioned feed roller arranged the one behind the other adapted to direct jets of air under pressure upon the web 'of fabric or paper to arrange the same about the stick which is just t-urning and to widely stretch and spread transversely the 4web'in the fold formed between the preceding stick and the stick which is ust turning.

2. A machine of the catching type for dry:

`ingfabric orf paper in a continuous web, comprising in combination with two endless conveying chains, levers hingedly mounted each on the outer side. of one'of two corresponding links of said chain so that they turn when said chains move, a transverse stick fixed on the outer ends 0f every pair of levers, a feed roller for feeding the Web-of fabric or paper arranged at a -certain hei ht above said endless chains, a second feedgroller between said first mentioned i feed roller and said endless chains closer to` said vchains than said first mentionedl feed roller, and a nozzle in front of said second mentioned feed roller, adapted to direct jets of air under pressure upon the web of fabric orpaper to arrange the same about the stick which is just turning and to widely stretch and spread transversely the web vin the fold formed between the preceding stick and the stick which is just turning.

A 3L A machine of the'catching type for drying fabric `or paper in a cvontinuousweb, comprising in combination with two endless conveying chains, levers hin edly mounted each on the outer side of one o two corresponding links of said chain so that they turn when said chains move, a transverse stick fixed on less chains close to said second mentioned feed roller cooperating with said toothed sectors, and two nozzles in front of said second mentioned feed roller' arranged the( one behind the` other adapted to direct jets ofair under pressure upon the web of fabric or paper to arrange the saine about the stick which is just turning and to widely stretch and spread transversely the web in the fold formed between the preceding stick andthe stick which is just turning. A 4

4. A machine of the catching type for drying fabric or paper in a continuous web, comprising in combination with the sticks and the nozzles for compressed air,l a throttle valve in each nozzle, a transverse lever on said throttle valve, a link hingedly connected to lone end of said transverse lever, and an elbow lever hingedly connected to the lower. end of said link so that its other arm projects onto the path of the stick which is being turned and strikes against said elbow lever to open said throttle valve. D

In testimony whereof I alfiX my signature. ture. A

AUBIN LAMBRETTE'. i 

